White Blank Page
by AlternativeParadise
Summary: War prisoner, Loki Odinson, is brought back to Asgard after his attempted genocide on Midgard. As a result, drama ensues from the very beginning. This story will crossover the Marvel world with the Norse mythology that inspired the Thor comics. It will cover Loki's relationship with Thor, Frigga, Odin, and Sigyn. Rated M for language, sensuality, and mild violence.
1. Prologue

Loki Odinson was coming home. Under any other circumstances this would have been a happy tiding but to Sigyn it hit her like nothing short of a nightmare; because Loki Odinson wasn't just coming home, he was being forced home as a prisoner of war. A war that he himself created, headed, and, in the end, lost. His devilish plans led to almost the total destruction of a universe. Midgardian blood now seeps over his unfeeling heart. He is no longer the Loki she knew. The day he let go of Odin's staff and drifted into space was the day he sold his soul to the _Helheim_. The playful, curious, mischievous, and loving Loki she once knew was dead and replaced by a lifeless shell. He was returning to a place he wasn't even sure if he could call "home" to atone for his sins. And worst of all, Sigyn was to be married to him.


	2. Coming Home

**MunchBunchMegan: Thank you for my first review! I really appreciate it! I'm so glad you like how I'm betraying Loki. I'm betraying him as realistically as possible. Loki is such a complex character there are so many things you can do with him! I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is five times longer than the prologue so I hope I have given you more to enjoy! Thanks again for the sweet words! :)**

* * *

It was dark. Loki leaned against the cold metal box that held him captive, counting down the seconds until he would have to face his family again. Odin, Frigga, Thor, the trial... Loki wasn't scared but he was anxious to see _them_ again. To face the people who still referred to him as "family." Ha. If family means lies and betrayal then Loki rather remain an orphan. Of course, he had no idea how hypocritical he was being inside his little cell of victimization.

Loki shifted his weight from one uncomfortable position to another. The chains on his wrists didn't exactly make comfort easy for him, but, he presumed, that was point. His "sins" had to be atoned for. _I wonder what horrors Odin has planned for his "unfortunate son", _Loki scoffed. This trial is going to be humiliating. The whole point was to humiliate him. He knew Odin would not let the people do anything too horrible to him, he had a soft spot that Loki counted on exploiting. The glorious deeds Loki did in order to gain the recognition he deserved from his "people," his "family," himself... were foiled and ridiculed. And now he was being punished for it? How utterly mortifying.

Suddenly light flooded into the small space. Though it was blinding and migraine-causing, Loki continued to stare ahead, giving his guards no form of recognition.

"Let's go," one of them barked. Loki didn't move a muscle. They came in a forcibly stood him up and marched him out into the light. His fate had come at last.

* * *

The hall where the trial was to be held was possibly one of the largest rooms in the entire palace. _How nice for Loki,_ Sigyn observed annoyingly. _Not that he doesn't deserve it, of course. _She quickly added. Odin sat on a large absurd throne at the end of the hall up a steep flight of stairs. He was all adorned in gold armored and looked frightfully intimidating. To his right his favorite son made his way into the hall and took his place beside his father, standing a few steps down off to the side. Frigga did the same and stood only a couple steps down from her husband on his left side. It felt as if the entire population of Asgard had come to see this spectacle. No one wanted to pass up the chance to pass judgment on the Prince of Trickery.

Sigyn couldn't help but feel guilty about participating in such an array. Although, yes, she felt that the Loki she knew was dead to her, she was still his betrothed, which meant she had to be faithful to him whether she wanted to or not. And she _didn't _want to. Suddenly the doors at the other end of the hall flung open. The crowd submitted into an uneasy hush. Sigyn felt could cut the anxiousness with a knife, this only increased her guilt. Her stomach was in a knot, her hands were sweaty and shaking, and her eyes were wide with anxiety. She wondered what Loki would look like, what he would say, how much he had changed, how he would treat her? She stood on her tiptoes in order to get a perfect look of him. Her mother, Freya, squeezed her hand.

"Everything is going to be fine," she smiled.

Sigyn gave a weak smile in return. She doubted that very much. A few burly guards marched in to clear a path in the bulging crowd for the prisoner. Sigyn held her breath and waited with the rest of the crowd for the moment they were all waiting for. And then she saw him. Well, she didn't exactly _see_ him. She saw what she presumed to be his unruly, greasy mop of hair. She saw a flash of his black leather shirt, his black leather boots, and his beat up and bruised handcuffed hands, but she never got to see his face. As Loki made his way further and further down the never-ending hallway, the crowd became more and more obnoxious and wild, always stepping in her line of sight. When Loki and his guards reached the beginning of the stairs, Odin rose from his throne. The crowd stopped moving instantly and became silent. Loki had to be forced to his knees by the guards; he looked so broken and small there on the marble floor. Siygn glanced up to Thor who looked pained and worried to hear what his father had to say on the matter. He kept trying to make eye contact with his brother but Loki kept his head down in a scowl. Of course, Sigyn still could see none of this because all she had was a terrific view of his back.

"Loki Odinson," Odin's voice boomed.

"_Laufeyson!"_ Loki hissed coolly under this breath. The crowd broke into a sea of murmured judgement. Thor cast angry eyes to his brother while Frigga, hurt, inhaled slowly. Odin ignored him and continued on.

"You have been brought here as a war criminal from Midgar where you have committed murder, attempted genocide, and declared treason on your home world. Your crimes against Valhalla are guilty as charged. In this hearing we shall decide the course of your punishment. Proposals are free to be made."

At this time a number of people suggested lifelong imprisonment, others shouted out banishment and the stripping of his powers, a few even proposed death. Sigyn's stomach churned at these suggestions. Surely Odin would never take any of these horrific punishments seriously. Then suddenly someone in the rear yelled, "Chain him in the Place of Judgement!" The crowd seemed to like this gruesome proposal for everyone fell into an uneasy hush once again. Odin tilted his head up to consider the suggestion.

"Father, no..." Thor pleaded desperately, as quietly as he possible could as not to sound disrespectful. Odin's eyes drifted down to Loki who had neither moved an inch nor glanced up in any direction since he was placed there.

"Loki Odinson, you shall be chained in the Place of Judgement for six months to let the serpent's venom seer away your violent misdeeds," Odin's voice was final. He banged his staff on the ground and the guards lunged for Loki once more.

"No..." was all that Sigyn could say.

"FATHER!" Thor rushed after Odin as he treated away, screaming profanities senselessly at him. Sigyn could barely breathe. Six months. Six months chained to a rock enduring unimaginable pain and suffering. Suffering that could kill a Midgardian in a second but Loki was to endure an entire six months of it?! Sigyn pushed her way through the crowd. She had to see Loki's face. Just one look. She just had too.

"Sigyn?!" Freya called after her daughter but Sigyn ignored her. She needed to rest her eyes on this broken man. This lifeless shell. Loki's guards were rushing him back down the hall. People were beginning to close in on them; some laughing, others leering, and a few just staring at him as they made their way to the exit. They were about to disappear into the black abyss when Sigyn pushed herself forward through the crowd one last time. Loki finally moved on his own and locked eyes with hers for a second before he disappeared around the corner. The doors banged shut and Sigyn was left with this horrible visual.

His eyes were no longer a beautiful emerald green, they were a faded sea-foam green, almost grey. He was truly gone. Loki Odinson had been ripped out and replaced by something that had nothing else left to live for. Sigyn could feel tears stinging in her eyes. She thought she didn't care, she thought her feelings were gone but it hurt. It hurt so much. She still cared.


	3. Blood is Thicker Than Water

"Father, you cannot possibly condemn my brother to such a fate," Thor said as he continued to berate Odin on this matter. At least an hour of arguing had passed and not a single thing had changed. Loki was still to be sent to the Place of Judgement.

"Thor, I am tired of discussing this with you," Odin declared. "My word is final."

"How could you do such a thing to your own son? Be he adopted or not we are a _family_!"

"A family?! Oh yes _we _are a family but your brother has cut us off. Did you not see how he addressed us today? We are no longer his family. He has committed treason! For Valhalla's sake, he has committed MURDER!" Odin voice kept rising as he counted the ways Loki had betrayed and hurt his "family."

"I am not, by any means, justifying his actions. Loki, of course, should be punished for what he has done but, father, he IS our family and always will be. He was betrayed just as much as he betrayed us. This family deserves no happiness for we inflict such pain on one another and then blame it on each other. Father, don't you see? You kept Loki's parentage from him, from _me_. You never bothered to tell him, he had to find out on his own. God! This discovery has made him twisted! He doesn't know who to trust. We haven't treated him as family. I haven't treated him as family... We aren't a family anymore-"

"ENOUGH!" Odin turned on Thor. Thor became rigid, staring into his father's face that was now contorted into a fit of rage. "Loki has chosen his path. Loki's fate is his own fault and I shall **_not_**feel guilty for giving him all that he deserves! Leave me, now!"

Thor looked pained. He turned to his mother who he forgot was even in the room. She sat motionless on a chair, keeping stoic. He was agitated by it.

"Mother..?"

She raised her eyes to Thor's, they were wet and bloodshot. "Thor..."

"I SAID NOW!" Odin violently interrupted. He was done thinking of Loki. Now and forever. He may be his son but his actions had turned him into an outcast. And if that is the way Loki wished to live his life then he may live there alone and unhappy.

Thor clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists, trying to keep the rage boiling in him from reaching the surface. He stomped out of the room leaving his father and mother in an unbearable silence. Odin stared after Thor, unable to move or say anything. He looked down at a frozen Frigga and placed a loving hand on her shoulder.

"I hope you can understand where my mind is, Frigga. I cannot change what has been wounded," he whispered. He turned his back to her.

Frigga rose with elegance and poise even though her face expressed despair and pain.

"And neither can Loki." Frigga left with this pointed comment floating in the air. Odin turned around to face Frigga but realized she had already left, leaving him all alone with nothing but his own thoughts to keep him company. Thor was right, his family was falling apart.


	4. If It Still Hurts, You Still Care

Sigyn sat in her chambers looking as bad as she felt. She hadn't slept in days, she couldn't without feeling guilty. Here she was sitting in this luxurious bed chamber in the palace while Loki lied chained in a cave enduring a pain that she couldn't bear to imagine. A few weeks ago, Sigyn and her family were moved into the palace. It was tradition for the in future in-laws to move into their new "home," meaning this impersonal palace. Now Sigyn could not find peace anywhere.

Everyone seemed to go about their business as if nothing had happened. Her mother kept planning her wedding, much to her dismay, her five sisters continued to ignore her, her father chose not to speak on any matter concerning the royal family, and Thor kept himself locked away in his chambers, much like Sigyn was doing now. Sigyn wished to talk to Thor, to gain comfort in his presence but she couldn't bare to face the world outside her room. Guilt followed her whenever she went outside, judgmental eyes following her every move. But guilt also plagued her in solitude, as she had not yet visited Loki. No one had, not his brother, not his mother, and certainly not his father. Sigyn was pained whenever she remembered this fact. Loki was alone. No one in the world cared enough to see him. Not even her...

_But didn't he deserve it?_ Sigyn thought to herself. She ran a shaky hand through her tangled black hair. _No, even someone as truly as evil as Loki deserves some sort of kindness done to him. If we didn't how would we be any different from him?_

That's it. It was decided. Sigyn would pick herself up, muster what little conscience she had left and visit the one man she hoped never to see again.

"Valhalla, help me..."

* * *

An hour later, Sigyn was washed and dressed in a simple brown and cream gown. She twisted her hair into a loose bun and gave almost no thought to the rest of her appearance. She knew she had to see the All-Father in order to gain access to Loki. She nervously twisted the sleeves of her dress as she neared Odin's chambers. Two guards stood at the the entrance. Sigyn approached them confidently.

"I request an audience with Odin the All-Father, at once," Sigyn demanded politely.

The guards raised an eyebrow at her strong stature. "And who shall we say is calling?"

"His future daughter-in-law, Sigyn."

The guards exchanged curious glances. "Wait here," they ordered. The guards disappeared into the room. Sigyn fidgeted apprehensively. She wondered how she could keep her composure while telling Odin of her wishes. She kept taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. She hated waiting. After a few excruciatingly long minutes the doors finally opened again but it was not Odin who came to address her.

"Queen Frigga?" Sigyn spurted out in surprise. "Y-your majesty." Regaining her composure, Sigyn made a low, respectful bow to her future mother-in-law.

"My dear, Sigyn," Frigga smiled. Sigyn rose to her previous position and locked eyes with Frigga. She could tell the Queen had been crying. Her eyes were puffy and held not the usual sparkle in them. Sigyn felt as if she was looking into a mirror. Loki was nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Sigyn could not escape her guilt.

"My husband is indisposed at the moment. He cannot grant you an audience at this time."

"But... it is about Loki..." Sigyn started.

"Loki?" Frigga inquired.

"I'm sorry, my Queen. I understand this is very inappropriate but I must be allowed to see him. The guilt is too much. I must speak with him. I must let him know how I feel, I must hear what he has to say for himself. I cannot bear this anxiety any longer. Please..."

Frigga's stare burned into Sigyn's soul. She was tired and weary. She knew what she was doing was wrong but it was worse for her just to sit by and do nothing. She rather risk looking like a fool than be a heartless wench.

"Go to the kitchen. Attain some bread, meat, fruit, and a pail of water. Then go to the caves. You will find Loki easily once you are there. Do not come here again, asking to see Loki. You have my permission to go. Now go."

Sigyn stood in blank awe. Frigga nodded kindly to her and turned to leave. Sigyn could feel a weight being lifted from her back. She turned and hurried off to the kitchens. Frigga stood in the doorway of her chambers, watching Sigyn leave.

"Thank you, dear Sigyn."

* * *

In one hand Sigyn carried a basket of cooked beef, grapes, sliced apples, and a small loaf of bread. In the other she carried a large pail of water. Attaining these things was less complicated than she had previously thought. She barely stepped two feet into the kitchen before a serving girl ran to her with the basket and the pail. Frigga must have known she would come to her. She was a lot like Loki in that respect. All-knowing and wise.

Sigyn was almost to the Place of Judgement. She could feel some sort of vibration beneath her feet. As she got closer she began hearing a high-pitch shrill in the air. It only became worse the closer she got. The vibrations became earthquakes and the shrills became screams of agony. Sigyn mustered every ounce of bravery she had left to proceed into the cave. She wasn't prepared for what she would find but she prepared herself for the worse. Loki's screams were incessant. His voice was cause of the earthquakes. The torture and anguish in his screams were enough to make a Midgardian go mad. Sigyn could feel her feet failing in her but she kept walking. The darkness enveloped her as she rounded the corner. She held her breath until her eyes rested on him.

_Give me the strength, God, please give me strength._


	5. The Place of Judgment

Loki's body lied across a rough bolder. It was a small bolder that was only big enough for his head to his hips to rest on. The rest of him hung uncomfortably limp off the rock. His feet were tied and firmly secured to the ground while his arms hung above him, cuffed and secured to the wall. He was naked. Sweat trickled from every curve of his body. His ribs were poking out of his stomach; he was very thin. Sigyn studied every feature of his body. Bruises covered his torso, his feet were scarred from the shackles, he had dark bags under his face, wrinkles lined his forehead, and his hair was long and tangled and greasy. Sigyn was frozen. She couldn't seem to bring herself to him. He then let out another blood-curdling scream. Sigyn drew a sharp breath in from shock, dropping both her basket and the pail of water. The noise cut Loki's scream short. He lifted his head up ever so slightly to see who was there.

"Sigyn..?" Loki breathed. He seemed almost happy to see his childhood friend, but then he looked down and surveyed the dropped articles on the floor. "You hopeless idiot..." he snapped and rested his head back on the rock.

Sigyn winced at his brutality. She gathered the food and water up quickly. Only half of the water spilled out and the food wasn't too damaged. She made her way gingerly towards Loki as he continued to scream out in pain as the venom continued to fall upon his forehead. Taking out a rag, Sigyn dunked it into the water and proceeded to clean him. She tried to be modest but was very uncomfortable with the situation. Loki laying there sweaty, naked, and in pain. She didn't know where to advert her eyes.

"I won't bite, I promise," Loki wheezed amusingly. He had noticed her carefulness towards cleaning his naked body.

Sigyn kept breathing deeply. "You sure about that?" Because, honestly, she wasn't sure if she could trust him anymore.

Loki didn't answer. Instead he let out another scream making Sigyn jump away from him. Surprisingly, he started laughing at her.

"How are you going to care for me when you are too scared to even come near me?"

"I-I'm sorry, my Prince," Sigyn stuttered. She resumed washing him until he barked at her again.

"Never mind what you're doing now. Bring me some food, you fool."

Sigyn clenched her jaw but did what he said. How dare he treat her thus when here she was trying to help him. Why did she even come here if he cared so little for her? Sigyn picked up a slice of meat and tried bringing it to his dry lips. It came apparent to Sigyn that feeding Loki was going to be harder than cleaning him. He couldn't swallow anything because every time he tried, the serpent above would drip his venom upon his forehead. Sigyn noticed that blood was dripping down from his face and wrists. She had to do something. She had to relieve him of this senseless pain. Sigyn looked around frantically for something of use to her. She saw the bucket. She grabbed it, poured some of it into a cup, and dumped the rest over Loki's head.

"What in Valhalla's name..!" Loki started but then stopped when he realized what Sigyn was doing. She positioned the empty bucket to balance between the wall and Loki's head, catching the venom. She stepped back and let out a sigh of relief. Loki became silent. Sigyn neared him again. She sat herself on the edge of his rock and looked down upon him. He rolled his grey eyes to her blue ones. They stared at each other for a few moments before he said something she was quite shocked to hear.

"Thank you."

She sighed exasperatingly but gave him a weak smile. "You're welcome."

Loki's eyes surveyed her face closely. She felt uncomfortable him doing so in his current condition. "You look tired, Sigyn. You have not the shining face you used to wear as a child."

She looked down, slightly embarrassed. How could she tell him that he was the reason for her lack of peace in her life now? "It's been a long time since we've seen each other, Loki. I've grown up..."

"So you have..." He didn't smile but Sigyn could tell he was content for the moment. Sigyn began feeding him again, slowly. They sat in an painful silence for many minutes. She didn't know where to start. His cold temperament made it feel impossible to approach him on any subject.

"Why have you come to visit me?" Loki asked, finally breaking the relentless silence.

Sigyn stopped. What could she say? She didn't want to lie but the truth was too shameful to utter. "Because you are my betrothed," Sigyn said in a fake happy voice. It wasn't a total lie, after all.

"Sigyn..." Loki said sharply, rolling his eyes.

"Well..." Sigyn racked her brain for another somewhat true lie. "Because you needed someone."

"Sigyn stop lying to me!" Loki snapped. His eyes burned into hers. She didn't feel scared anymore, she felt annoyed. Fine. Let him have the truth. He deserves it after all the pain he has caused.

"Because I felt... guilty," Sigyn stated. She felt ashamed but also relieved to have finally told him.

After giving her a calculating stare, Loki nodded his head and rolled his tongue beneath his teeth, thinking. "So it had nothing to do with wanting to see me, di-"

"Of course it did," Sigyn cut him off sharply. She already felt guilty enough, she didn't need him to grind salt into the wound. Now she was angry. She didn't exactly know why. Was it because she was witnessing firsthand how much Loki had changed? Or that he didn't seem to care for her or for anyone anymore? Or was it that she longed to leave and forget him but felt strangely attached to him? Their eyes stayed locked onto each other's. She searched for life in his eyes but found not a glimmer.

"You need sleep, my Prince," Sigyn said, slowly adverting her eyes away from his; looking at them only made things worse. "I shall stay here until you are fully rested."

Loki snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. You cannot stay here and _watch_ me while I sleep. That's utterly-"

"I _will_ stay here, Loki. My place is by your side," Sigyn's word final. She would make Loki respect her. She deserved at least that.

He tilted his head towards her, giving her a long challenging glare. When he realized she was adamant, he huffed and said, "Fine. Have it your way."

He rested his head back against the cold wall, balancing the pail serenely on his head. The rocks were damp and lumpy and offered no comfort to anyone who rested on them, but Sigyn tried to make the best of it. She chose a slightly less uncomfortable position where she could still be in view of her betrothed. There she watched him drift peacefully into sleep. As the hours ticked by, Sigyn saw his face darken in color while the bags under his eyes slowly disappeared. She found it hard to stop staring at him. She watched his bare chest rise and fall with every breath he took. He looked completely peaceful. She wished he was always like this. Why did his mouth ruined every amiable quality he had? Her body ached for him but she knew the Loki she wanted was gone and there was no getting him back. Sigyn closed her eyes in pain from that thought. She couldn't bare to come to terms with what she had lost. She kept her eyes closed and let her mind drift back to another time...


	6. A Different Time

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews, follows, and favorites! It encourages me to keep going! I love writing this fic. Loki is my favorite. :) Let me know how y'all like the story and if there is anything in particular y'all would like in it or would like to know what I have coming up! Much love. Kisses, MK **

* * *

Everything was hazy. Blobs of color danced inside Sigyn's mind. Her vision was unfocused, unclear, and indistinct. She hadn't had a dream in many nights so perhaps her mind had forgotten exactly how to do the job. Clouded with so many other issues, her mind had not allowed her the luxury of dreams. Now, suddenly, her brain had something to show her, but it wasn't a dream, it wasn't new. It was a memory.

The blobs of color began to focus in like a camera slowly concentrating to the surroundings around it. Sitting in front of her, Sigyn noticed, was a small boy with shiny black hair. Many books were strewn about them on the ground—opened faced with clumsy writings all around the margins. They both were sitting in what appeared to be a very lush, very aristocratic garden. Sigyn's mental state felt abnormally light and agile, it carried not a single burden. All of a sudden, the little boy slammed the book he had in his lap closed. It was leather bound and titled, _Animal Farm_ by George Orwell.

"Well I think that this Midgarian author is utterly fucked up," the little boy yelled out.

Sigyn gasped at his use of profanity, "Loki! You shouldn't say such things!"

Little Loki smirked at her, "What? Fuck?" Sigyn lunged for his mouth. Loki dodged her grasp, letting her body fall hard to the ground.

"Get away from me peasant! I can say whatever I want. I'm a _prince_, after all. And anyway, it isn't derogatory here, Sigyn."

Sigyn pushed herself up from the ground, glaring at Loki standing above her. "Don't you dare talk to me that way, Loki Odinson." She stomped away from him, hurt with his sudden harshness. Loki's face fell into a severe frown as he watched Sigyn trudge away. Sighing, he ran after her.

"Where are you going, Sigyn?"

She didn't lose pace or even look at him. "Away from _you._"

Loki tried to grab her arm. "Sigyn, please, wait."

She recoiled away from him. "The only thing I want to hear coming out of your mouth is an apology, Odinson! You've been hanging around Thor for too long. You've become as pompous and stubborn as he is!"

Loki studied Sigyn's face, looking for a leeway that would allow him to say something else besides "sorry" and still be able to be forgiven. There wasn't one there. Loki bit his bottom lip and gave Sigyn a puppy look.

"UGH! YOU ASS!" Sigyn spatted at him and began storming away once more. Though they were only thirteen they already spoke to each other like an old married couple.

Loki rolled his eyes and continued after her again. "Alright… Sigyn! SIGYN!" She kept going. "I'm sorry!"

Sigyn stopped in her tracks. She turned around slowly. Her face expressed exasperation. Why did he have to be such a beautiful pain? "You mean it?" she yelled back at him.

He came closer to her. "Of course…" He took her hand and kissed it, his green eyes shining.

Sigyn rolled her eyes. "Don't be gross," she giggled. Loki smiled at her.

"I just didn't find the appeal of animals ruling over other animals very appealing."

"You're viewing it too literally," Sigyn tried to explain as they made their way back to their pile of books. "Orwell was trying to convey that people are easily corrupted. The pigs sought out to create a democratic government on their farm but ended up letting the power go to their head, making them just as bad as the famer they were trying to get away from."

Loki wrinkled his nose. "Yeah but… PIGS?"

Sigyn pushed him playfully. "I know it's strange but I think he was trying to say even the most unlikely, innocent people can become corrupt. You've got to keep your feet firmly on the ground."

Loki took this in silently. This eyes gazed off into the distance. "Yeah…" he told her. "Maybe…"

* * *

Loki's last words, hung in Sigyn's mind as the memory slowly dissipated away from her. She was left in blackness again. As she slowly came to, she remembered where she was and what she was _supposed _to be doing. She bolted up. Loki still lay in front of her on the rock with the bucket on his head. Sigyn got up and walked to him; how long had she been out? It could have only been a couple hours, if that. As she got closer she gasped in horror. The bucket was filled to the brim with a disgusting, steaming green liquid. This revelation soon washed over Sigyn in a horrific manner—the bucket was about to overflow over Loki.

Sigyn didn't know what to do. Remove the bucket to empty it out would mean letting the venom fall upon Loki but leaving the bucket where it stood would be even worse. Sigyn thought about using the cup she brought to replace the bucket for a moment but Loki had not had enough water yet and it was too far away to go get more. Plus the cup was too small anyway and risked toppling over. Sigyn knew what she had to do. She needed to do it. She needed to know how it would feel, more than anything.

Breathing in deeply, preparing herself for the absolute worse, Sigyn placed her hand over the bucket. With the other hand she removed the bucket and proceeded to empty it out. And then it happened. One drop of venom from the snake above fell on her hand. **_Pain_**. Unbearable, excruciating pain rippled through her body. The venom was worse than a knife through the hand. It trickled down her hand, peeling away a layer of her skin as it went. She knew she wasn't as strong as Loki. How he had not gone insane from this pain was beyond her. She bit down on her lip so hard that blood oozed from her mouth. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she tried her best not to make a sound. She emptied the bucket, keeping her hand over his head, and then replaced it back quickly.

Sigyn stumbled back, losing her footing on the slick, rough stone floor. She fell, hard, to the ground. She gasped for breath, gripping her raw hand. Tears welled up in her eyes. Nerves were shaking under her skin. She rolled her body over, trying to clench the pain. No matter how hard she tried, bits of tragic moans escaped her bloody lips. Why had such a powerful surge self-sabotage occur over her? Why did she want to experience pain all the time nowadays? Because it was the only way she was sure she could _feel _something.

"…Sigyn?"

Sigyn's eyes flew open. _Shit._ Silence followed. Sigyn could feel Loki's eyes on her. He knew.

"…Get…Up," he demanded icily.

_Shit._ Sigyn's jaw clenched and her eyes closed in incense but did but he commanded. She pushed herself off the cold floor with only one hand to stabilize her body. She stumbled forward towards him. Hair fell around her head messily, covering half her face. She viewed Loki from only her right eye. He was incensed as well.

"…Give…me…your…hand."

Sigyn looked back at him, challenging him.

"NOW!"

She jumped. He wasn't kidding. He wasn't that little boy from her memory anymore. Slowly Sigyn slid her hand out from behind her back, exposing its tender state to him. Loki's eyes flared.

"You…fucking…idiot," he grotesquely barked at her. "Why would you do something as dense as that, Sigyn? I knew you were thick but this is a little more extreme than I remember!"

"I was trying to protect you!" Sigyn fought back. How dare he do this to her again. Make her feel guilty about something she did for him.

"Well stop! I didn't ask for your protection! I don't need _anyone_!"

His last word seemed to echo around them, suffocating them. Sigyn just looked him him. She was neither angry nor upset anymore. She was sad. Sad for him, sad for herself. And with that last note, she turned on her heel and left.

"Where are you going? You forgot this daft bucket, Sigyn!"

Sigyn stopped, turned to face him again and said something she had been meaning to tell him since she saw him. "You may not need or want my help, Odinson, but you are going to receive it whether you like it or not. Maybe one day you'll finally realize why I did it. The bucket stays, even though you really don't deserve it."

Loki was unfazed by Sigyn's newfound strength as he laughed at her comments. "If I don't deserve it, then leave me to my despair without it. Why don't you do that, Sigyn?"

"Because I believe in second chances." This last bit did set him aback. He narrowed his eyes at her. Sigyn smirked a smirk that he could be proud of and then said, "But only just second ones…"


End file.
